Method and system for an asymmetric optical PHY operation for ethernet A/V bridging and ethernet A/V bridging extensions

• US 7,839,872 B2
• Filed: 09/28/2007
• Issued: 11/23/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 05/14/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Avago Technologies International Sales Pte Limited (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Broadcom Corporation (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Inventors: Kim, Yongbum, Diab, Wael William
• Primary Examiner(s): Chou; Albert T
• Application Number:
  US11/864,136
• Publication Number:
  US 20080285981A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,152 Days
• Field of Search: 370/401, 398/71, 380/200, 714/758
• US Class Current: 370/401
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2370/10 Use of a protocol of communication by packets in interfaces along the display data pipeline
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/006 Details of the interface to the display terminal specific for a display terminal using a CRT G09G1/167; using a flat panel G09G3/2096; circuits for interfacing with colour displays G09G5/04
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2805 Home Audio Video Interoperability [HAVI] networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2816 Controlling appliance services of a home automation network by calling their functionalities arrangements in telecontrol or telemetry systems for selectively calling a substation from a main station; in which substation desired apparatus is selected for applying a control signal thereto or for obtaining measured values therefrom H04Q9/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/2849 Audio/video appliances
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/172 the region being a picture, frame or field
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/176 the region being a block, e.g. a macroblock
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/61 in combination with predictive coding
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/43615 Interfacing a Home Network, e.g. for connecting the client to a plurality of peripherals home Audio Video Interoperability [HAVI] data switching networks H04L12/2805
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/43632 involving a wired protocol, e.g. IEEE 1394 high-speed IEEE 1394 serial bus H04L12/40052
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6373 for rate control , e.g. request to the server to modify its transmission rate flow control in packet networks H04L47/10
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/64322 IP
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/85 on discs or drums
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/106 for domestic distribution
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/8042 involving data reduction
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/00 Reducing energy consumption in communication networks

Abstract

Optical signals may be communicated with A/V Bridging services between an upstream link partner and a down stream link partner, each comprising an asymmetric Ethernet optical physical layer (PHY). High bandwidth A/V optical signals may be transmitted from the upstream link partner and low bandwidth optical signals may be transmitted from the downstream link partner. One or more of a time stamp, a traffic class and/or a destination address may be utilized in generating PDUs and managing communications via the asymmetric Ethernet optical PHY. The receiving link partner may register for delivery of the PDUs. An aggregate communication rate may be distributed evenly or unevenly among one or more optical links for transmission and aggregated upon reception via asymmetric Ethernet optical PHY operations. Compressed, uncompressed, encrypted and/or unencrypted optical signals may be handled. Signal processing may comprise forward error checking and clock recovery.

Claims

1. A method for communicating data, the method comprising:

in a first link partner device that comprises an asymmetric Ethernet optical PHY transceiver;

communicating optical signals to a corresponding second link partner device and receiving optical signals from said corresponding second link partner device, utilizing A/V Bridging services with quality of service descriptors, wherein said asymmetric Ethernet optical PHY transceiver is operable to transmit data utilizing one or more of a plurality of different rates in a first direction, and concurrently with said transmitting, to receive data utilizing one or more of a plurality of other different rates in a corresponding second direction.

2. The method according to claim 1, comprising communicating high bandwidth audio/video (A/V) optical signals to said corresponding second link partner device.

3. The method according to claim 1, comprising receiving low bandwidth optical signals from said corresponding second link partner device.

4. The method according to claim 1, comprising one or both of:

generating at least one protocol data unit (PDU) comprising one or more of a time stamp value, a traffic class designation and/or a destination address for communicating said optical signals to said corresponding second link partner device; and

receiving at least one PDU comprising one or more of a time stamp value, a traffic class designation and a destination address for receiving said optical signals from said corresponding second link partner device;

via said asymmetric Ethernet optical PHY transceiver.

5. The method according to claim 4, comprising requesting a data rate for one or both of:

communicating said at least one PDU to said corresponding second link partner device; and

receiving said at least one PDU from said corresponding second link partner device;

via said asymmetric Ethernet optical PHY transceiver.

6. The method according to claim 4, comprising generating a reservation message for, one or both of:

transmitting said at least one PDU to said corresponding second link partner device; and

receiving at least one PDU from said corresponding second link partner device;

via said asymmetric Ethernet optical PHY transceiver based on one or more of said time stamp value, said traffic class designation and/or said destination address.

7. The method according to claim 4, comprising generating a registration message for one or both of:

delivery of said at least one PDU to said corresponding second link partner device; and

receiving said at least one PDU from said corresponding second link partner device;

via said asymmetric Ethernet optical PHY transceiver.

8. The method according to claim 1, comprising reducing a communication rate of said optical signals for distribution of said optical signals among one or more optical links coupling said first link partner device to said second link partner device, for said communicating signals to said corresponding second link partner device and/or said receiving signals from said corresponding second link partner device, via said asymmetric Ethernet optical PHY transceiver.

9. The method according to claim 1, comprising distributing an aggregate communication rate evenly or unevenly among one or more optical links coupling said first link partner device to said second link partner device, for said communicating signals to said corresponding second link partner device and/or for said receiving signals from said corresponding second link partner device, via said asymmetric Ethernet optical PHY transceiver.

10. The method according to claim 9, comprising aggregating said distributed communication rate from said one or more optical links coupling said first link partner device to said second link partner device, for said communicating signals to said corresponding second link partner device and/or for said receiving signals from said corresponding second link partner device, via said asymmetric Ethernet optical PHY transceiver.

11. The method according to claim 1, wherein said asymmetric Ethernet optical PHY transceiver handles compressed and/or uncompressed video signals.

12. The method according to claim 1, wherein said asymmetric Ethernet optical PHY transceiver handles encrypted and/or unencrypted video signals.

13. The method according to claim 1, comprising modifying one or more of said communicated optical signals utilizing forward error checking (FEC) and said received optical signals utilizing clock recovery.

14. A system for communicating data, the system comprising:

one or more circuits for use within a first link partner device, said first link partner device comprising an asymmetric Ethernet optical PHY transceiver, said one or more circuits being operable to;

communicate optical signals to a corresponding second link partner device and receive optical signals from said corresponding second link partner device, utilizing A/V Bridging services with quality of service descriptors, wherein said asymmetric Ethernet optical PHY transceiver is operable to transmit data utilizing one or more of a plurality of different rates in a first direction, and concurrently with said transmitting, to receive data utilizing one or more of a plurality of other different rates in a corresponding second direction.

15. The system according to claim 14, wherein said one or more circuits are operable to communicate high bandwidth audio/video (A/V) optical signals to said corresponding second link partner device.

16. The system according to claim 14, wherein said one or more circuits are operable to receive low bandwidth optical signals from said corresponding second link partner device.

17. The system according to claim 14, wherein said one or more circuits are operable to, one or both of:

generate at least one protocol data unit (PDU) comprising one or more of a time stamp value, a traffic class designation and/or a destination address for communicating said optical signals to said corresponding second link partner device; and

receive at least one PDU comprising one or more of a time stamp value, a traffic class designation and a destination address for receiving said optical signals from said corresponding second link partner device;

via said asymmetric Ethernet optical PHY transceiver.

18. The system according to claim 17, wherein said one or more circuits are operable to request a data rate for one or both of:

communicating said at least one PDU to said corresponding second link partner device;

receiving said at least one PDU from said corresponding second link partner device;

via said asymmetric Ethernet optical PHY transceiver.

19. The system according to claim 17, wherein said one or more circuits are operable to generate a reservation message for, one or both of:

transmitting said at least one PDU to said corresponding second link partner device; and

receiving at least one PDU from said corresponding second link partner device;

via said asymmetric Ethernet optical PHY transceiver based on one or more of said time stamp value, said traffic class designation and/or said destination address.

20. The system according to claim 17, wherein said one or more circuits are operable to generate a registration message for one or both of:

delivery of said at least one PDU to said corresponding second link partner device; and

receiving said at least one PDU from said corresponding second link partner device;

via said asymmetric multi-rate Ethernet optical PHY.

21. The system according to claim 14, wherein said one or more circuits are operable to reduce a communication rate of said optical signals for distribution of said optical signals among one or more optical links coupling said first link partner device to said second link partner device, for said communicating signals to said corresponding second link partner device and/or said receiving signals from said corresponding second link partner device, via said asymmetric Ethernet optical PHY transceiver.

22. The system according to claim 14, wherein said one or more circuits are operable to distribute an aggregate communication rate evenly or unevenly among one or more optical links coupling said first link partner device to said second link partner device, for said communicating signals to said corresponding second link partner device and/or for said receiving signals from said corresponding second link partner device, via said asymmetric Ethernet optical PHY transceiver.

23. The system according to claim 22 wherein said one or more circuits are operable to aggregate said distributed communication rate from said one or more optical links coupling said first link partner device to said second link partner device, for said communicating signals to said corresponding second link partner device and/or for said receiving signals from said corresponding second link partner device, via said asymmetric Ethernet optical PHY transceiver.

24. The system according to claim 14, wherein said asymmetric Ethernet optical PHY transceiver handles compressed and/or uncompressed video signals.

25. The system according to claim 14, wherein said asymmetric Ethernet optical PHY transceiver handles encrypted and/or unencrypted video signals.

26. The system according to claim 14, wherein said one or more circuits are operable to modify one or more of said communicated optical signals utilizing forward error checking (FEC) and said received optical signals utilizing clock recovery.